In tight Kansas Senate race, struggling rural voters are split: "There

Rising costs squeeze farms

Kansas farmer Jeff Preisser said his farm paid $514,625 more for fertilizer and $187,000 more for diesel, while parts cost another $10,000. The farmers linked the added parts expense to steel tariffs and said drought cut crop yields by 20%.

Low commodity prices and reduced agricultural exports amid trade disputes also weighed on income. The Preisser farm brought in $325,000 less in revenue from 2025 to 2026, Jeff said.

Larry Preisser said he sold land that had been in the family for 140 years to cover bills. His son, 50, said he refinanced his land, extending loan repayment and using up equity built over years of farming.

Farm policy shapes Senate choices

Congress has not passed a new Farm Bill since 2018, and the previous measure officially expired last month. Larry said he was disillusioned with Republican leadership; Jeff said he was unsure whether he would vote, but would not support the Republican.

The Preisser family also criticized political decisions they said conflicted with farming, including the Iran war, tariffs and Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids in southwest Kansas. They said the raids left ranchers short-staffed during harvest.

Farmers remain divided

Soybean farmer Mick Roush, an hour’s drive away, said he might not be able to keep his farm much longer if conditions do not change. Still, he and other farmers support Marshall because he is from farm country and see the Iran war’s effects as temporary.

Some voters said they want Republicans to retain control of the Senate, fearing farmers would fare worse under a Democratic Congress. Mandi Sieren, Jeff’s sister, said she did not trust either party enough to vote. Farmland owner Tracy Chambers urged the family to vote, saying, “Your vote is your voice.” Larry said Hamilton wants to work with Republicans rather than fight them.

Financial pressures extend nationally

President Trump announced an $8 billion program for temporary fuel relief for farmers at a midterm rally outside Wichita last week. Jeff Preisser said the aid would not resolve problems with crop and fertilizer prices, and warned some farmers could fail before conditions improved.

The National Farm Bureau reported that farm bankruptcies rose for a second consecutive year in 2025, increasing 46% from the year before. The U.S. Department of Agriculture projects farm debt will reach $624.7 billion in 2026.